Q: My Mitsubishi Outlander is making noise while driving along. It’s got 45,000 miles on it and everything is original. Nothing has been replaced or repaired on it and until recently it drove along pretty well. Now, whenever I get to speeds above about 40 it makes a hollow, groaning noise that gets much worse when I drive over the kind of blacktop with little stones showing on the surface. I’m worried that something in the drive system might be wearing out. What should I look at? — Gerry in Montreal

A: You’re describing what is most likely tire noise. If you have that much mileage on the Outlander and haven’t replaced the tires (regardless of tread depth), it’s certain that the rubber has stiffened up with age and the tread probably has some scallop-type wear. As tires get older, they become stiffer and noisier, so much so that it’s easy to think something’s wrong with the car. Noise is really pronounced when driving over rougher surfaces, as you’ve described, so go to a tire dealer and have them look at your tires. I’m sure the only thing wrong is that your Outlander needs new “shoes.”